Rosa Alba is a hardy cross between Rosa canina and Rosa damascene and are mostly white flowered through to exquisite shades of pale pink that only bloom once in spring.
They are fairly tall, growing up to 2 metres with sparse and prickly stems. The foliage is greyish green and the clusters of delicately beautiful flowers have a fragrance that is a mix of rose and citrus and generally described as 'Old Rose' fragrance.
They bloom once in mid summer with double or semi-double flowers and can make an excellent low to medium hedge.
Examples include Rosa alba x ‘Maxima’ from 15th century, Rosa alba ‘Celeste’ noted for its purity of pink.